Senior Quinn Arundel delivered a clutch performance as Mother McAuley overcame an early deficit to edge out Bloom 53-38 in a thrilling matchup.
The turning point came midway through the fourth quarter, when senior guard Delia Sullivan sank two quick threes, sparking a decisive shift in momentum for the Mighty Macs. With the score tied at 34-30, Arundel stepped up with a pair of show-stopping plays that turned the tide in McAuley's favor.
First, she forced a traveling violation by sliding her feet and intercepting a pass, then capitalized on a rebound to lay it home for an explosive fastbreak basket. The decisive sequence highlighted Arundel's versatility as a player – she impacts the game with her scoring prowess but is just as effective when defending.
Co coach Curtis Lewis praised Arundel's all-around impact: "She impacts the game in terms of winning more than any player we've ever had that I've coached."
Bloom's senior guard Kamryn Turner was a dominant force in the first half, but McAuley tightened its defense and controlled the glass in the second half. Junior Taji Alexa chipped in with 20 points to help seal the win for the Mighty Macs.
The victory marked a crucial turning point for Mother McAuley as it enters a challenging stretch of games against DePaul Prep, Kenwood, and Providence. Coach Lewis expressed optimism that his team is on the right track: "We're starting to make the right turn in the right direction...I feel we're better now than we were to begin the season."
As the playoffs draw closer, Mother McAuley's win over Bloom will be a key factor in its quest for success.
The turning point came midway through the fourth quarter, when senior guard Delia Sullivan sank two quick threes, sparking a decisive shift in momentum for the Mighty Macs. With the score tied at 34-30, Arundel stepped up with a pair of show-stopping plays that turned the tide in McAuley's favor.
First, she forced a traveling violation by sliding her feet and intercepting a pass, then capitalized on a rebound to lay it home for an explosive fastbreak basket. The decisive sequence highlighted Arundel's versatility as a player – she impacts the game with her scoring prowess but is just as effective when defending.
Co coach Curtis Lewis praised Arundel's all-around impact: "She impacts the game in terms of winning more than any player we've ever had that I've coached."
Bloom's senior guard Kamryn Turner was a dominant force in the first half, but McAuley tightened its defense and controlled the glass in the second half. Junior Taji Alexa chipped in with 20 points to help seal the win for the Mighty Macs.
The victory marked a crucial turning point for Mother McAuley as it enters a challenging stretch of games against DePaul Prep, Kenwood, and Providence. Coach Lewis expressed optimism that his team is on the right track: "We're starting to make the right turn in the right direction...I feel we're better now than we were to begin the season."
As the playoffs draw closer, Mother McAuley's win over Bloom will be a key factor in its quest for success.
! I mean, she just saved the game for her team at the last minute. And what's crazy is that her coach was saying all these nice things about her before she even had to make those big plays? It's like she was destined for greatness or something 
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. And those show-stopping plays? Forget about it... I'm still speechless 
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. But with Arundel on their side, I wouldn't count 'em out just yet 
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she came up huge when it mattered most and that last play was absolutely clutch 
I love how versatile she is, scoring or defending - either way, she's a beast on the court 
and coach Lewis is right, she's a game-changer for Mother McAuley. They're definitely on the right track now, let's see them crush those next games 
I was on the edge of my seat when she intercepted that pass and then BAM! Fastbreak basket 
Coach Lewis is right, she's like the MVP of her team. I love how the Mighty Macs are starting to find their groove after being down at one point. It's gonna be interesting to see how they do in those tough games ahead... Fingers crossed for them! 
and her clutch plays were INSANE 
That was like something out of a movie 
. And to think that Coach Lewis is feeling optimistic about their season now? 
I'm totally on board with that 
. Maybe this is the turning point they needed? Fingers crossed! 
. McAuley's got this! 
They're killing it when they win, but then... crickets. 20 points by Taji Alexa is awesome, but why do I have to scroll through the whole game to find that info? Can't just give me the highlights? 
The turning point in that game was when Delia Sullivan came out of nowhere with those 2 threes... and Quinn Arundel just took it to another level after that! 
what do you guys think?
she did this insane play where she intercepts a pass and then throws it home for a fastbreak basket 
and Taji Alexa chipped in with some crucial points 
but Mother McAuley's defense was the real hero here 
Coach Lewis seems to be on the right track now, let's keep it up 
. Like, what's up with the importance of one girl making some clutch plays? Can't they just play a decent team defense and call it a day? 
And don't even get me started on these rebounding stats...it feels like the ball is just bouncing in their favor 
. I mean, I know Quinn Arundel was all-star and all that, but can we talk about how much of an impact her teammates had on this game? Delia Sullivan's 2 threes were awesome, I guess, but what about the rest of the team? 
And let's be real, Bloom's Kamryn Turner was on fire in the first half...this isn't like they're some super dominant team just because they won this one game 
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I'm not saying she's a robot or anything, but come on, it's just too convenient! 
I mean, two show-stopping plays in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for Mother McAuley. It's amazing how that one sequence changed the momentum of the game.